M: I’m now the Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Aga Kahn University in Nairobi, where we focus on education and training, research and service delivery. I’m happy to lead a group of young faculty and residents at a university that is engaged in a holistic approach to patient care. The training here is based on values of equity, humanity and pluralism. We also work in impoverished, rural areas where maternal and infant mortality is high and family planning uptake is low—where women are dying from anemia or because they don’t make it to a health facility in time to deliver, and babies are dying because they don’t get the care they need.

S: What is the biggest challenge in maternal newborn health? What is being done to address that challenge?

Maternal mortality is one of the silent tragedies. We have made a lot of progress during the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but more needs to be done. Throughout my career as an obstetrician, I’ve helped about 18,000 women deliver their babies…I didn’t count them exactly, but I counted the 72 women who died in my hands. Most of those women’s deaths could have been prevented. The majority of women still die either during delivery or due to unsafe abortion. If we can fulfill the unmet needs of all women who want family planning services, we can help women space their families and reduce unwanted pregnancies. Family planning is crucial, and it’s the most cost-effective solution. We also need to invest in the “birth day,” the 24 hours around childbirth, to save maternal and newborn lives and prevent stillbirths. Kenya is doing a lot with providing free maternity care, but women still need to get to the facilities. We are working with the Kenyan government, non-governmental organizations, civil society and the health care sector to improve quality of care, reduce shortage of materials and equipment and alter the attitude of health care workers who are sometimes rude or disrespectful to women.

S: What does good leadership mean to you?

M: To be a successful leader, you need to work hard, listen to others and collaborate as a team. You need to motivate people and surround yourself with smart people who have more expertise than you do. It is important to listen to people, step back and reflect and also to live according to your values. I wouldn’t be able to work in an environment that didn’t support solidarity, pluralism, equity, feminism and the other values that are important to me.

S: What do you want MHTF readers to know?

M: The global efforts over the last ten years to reduce maternal mortality have worked. While we did not reach the MDGs in many countries, we have seen unprecedented gains. We have learned a lot about what works, and now it’s time to accelerate! Maternal mortality is not only related to issues in the health care sector—it also has to do with women’s rights, sexual and reproductive rights, equity and empowerment of girls and women. As Dr. Mahmoud Fathalla said, “Women are not dying of diseases we can’t treat… They are dying because societies have yet to make the decision that their lives are worth saving.”

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The posts on this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Maternal Health Task Force. Our objective is to provide a platform for our Editorial Committee and other experts to post a myriad of data and evidence, as well as opinions/views that exist in the field which will contribute to expanding the maternal health dialogue.